Adela quickly learned that music duels in Regnum Musicae were treated with almost sacred seriousness.
Unlike Spheraphasian combat where power, strategy and destruction determined victory, Musicia settled disputes through performance. Duels existed to determine resonance with the realm and public reception rather than domination. In their eyes, music revealed far more about a person than violence ever could.
The process itself remained surprisingly simple. Two people performed with one after the other and then the audience decided. No interruptions were allowed during performance and no one could interfere once the duel began. Whoever played first had to finish their melody entirely, honoring the taboo against unfinished music, before the next participant could begin. Breaking concentration midway was considered deeply shameful and almost equivalent to surrendering before even trying.
Public opinion decided everything. Popularity itself meant nothing, surprisingly enough. Even the greatest genius could lose if their music failed to resonate properly with listeners. The audience listened carefully too. Oddly enough, this was one of the few situations where clapping became acceptable.
Normally, even sounds made through the body violated daytime customs. Speaking, unnecessary noise and even rhythmic disruptions were heavily discouraged beneath the sun. Yet music duels became sacred exceptions where applause represented communal acknowledgment of performance.
Soon enough, Adela found herself sitting cross-legged in the middle of the Hall of Resonance beside Alpha II. Hundreds—possibly thousands—of Musicia gathered around them in circles stretching across the enormous chamber. Public telepathic communication buzzed everywhere. Apparently, an outsider Discordant challenging a genius counted as entertainment.
Adela quietly exhaled.
Alpha II remained perfectly calm beside her while smoothly summoning one of her Musicum Instruments. Light shimmered softly before forming elegant silver strings stretched across polished white wood. Adela recognized it immediately, though under a different name.
A harp. Or harpex, at least according to what she learned growing up.
[She brought out the harp?]
[Alpha II is serious.]
[That is her strongest instrument.]
[Poor outsider.]
[She's already doomed.]
Adela frowned. That sounded mildly unfair. Then again, nobody forced her into this. Slowly, she reached into her storage and pulled something out. In her hands rested a modern guitar.
[What is that?]
[Is that an instrument?]
[Those strings look strange.]
[Why is it shaped like that?]
[Discordants are weird.]
Adela almost rolled her eyes.
Thankfully, every noble in Spheraphase received artistic education whether they liked it or not. Music remained part of royal upbringing, diplomacy and cultural refinement. While many chose elegant classical instruments, Adela unexpectedly preferred something more modern.
A ceremonial coin floated gently between them moments later. The crowd watched silently as it flipped through the air before eventually landing near Alpha II's side. That alone decided the order. Alpha II went first.
The woman settled gracefully before placing delicate fingers across the harp strings. Even before she began, something shifted around her. Her Divine Presence emerged.
The first note alone silenced everything. Beautiful barely described it.
Soft melodies flowed effortlessly through the hall while glowing waves of music spread invisibly through the atmosphere. The public telepathic connection was completely silent. Nobody interrupted or distracted themselves. Everyone simply listened.
Alpha II looked beautiful while playing despite carrying so much emotional weight in her music. Her blonde hair moved softly while invisible currents drifted around her. For a brief moment, Adela almost understood why they called her a genius.
As the final note ended, silence lingered before applause echoed loudly throughout the Hall of Resonance while countless thoughts flooded public telepathy.
[Perfect.]
[She's incredible.]
[As expected of Alpha II.]
[That rhythm…]
[She improved again.]
Adela quietly swallowed. This was bad.
She adjusted her grip on the guitar while nervousness quietly settled into her chest. Honestly, she hated admitting it but Alpha II had been amazing. The last time Adela even touched an instrument properly had been back during her stay on Nyramith Island with Veneri.
Then a memory surfaced. There was a poem they found together in Nyramith Island. Veneri insisted they try singing it. At first, she refused but he somehow convinced her anyway.
He handled the singing while she played beside him. They spent days learning it together, messing up repeatedly until eventually the entire thing finally worked. Honestly, she still remembered being annoyed at how unfairly good his voice sounded. Maybe that ridiculous near-perfect body of his helped.
Adela smiled faintly despite herself. She already knew she would not win. Alpha II was absurdly talented. Still, she wanted to try.
Adela quietly adjusted her grip on the guitar while the Hall of Resonance remained completely silent around her. Thousands watched, waiting for the outsider Discordant to embarrass herself after Alpha II's nearly flawless performance. Even Alpha II sat calmly nearby but she was curious. Apparently, whatever strange instrument Adela held interested her.
Adela quietly exhaled.
'No point overthinking it. I already knew I'm going to lose.'
The moment her fingers brushed the strings, something familiar settled inside her chest. The nervousness did not disappear entirely, but she was calm enough to let memory take over. Suddenly, she was no longer sitting in the Hall of Resonance.
She remembered Nyramith Island.
Veneri stubbornly convinced her to try music despite her insisting she was terrible. She remembered the poem they found tucked away inside old ruins near the coast. At first, it looked stupidly romantic to her, something she immediately assumed Elyonari or Phaenora would obsess over. Then Veneri somehow convinced her to sing it with him after spending days on it and finding the rhythm. Honestly, she still blamed him for that.
Her fingers finally moved. The first notes echoed softly through the hall. The sound felt different. It was less refined yet strangely emotional.
Unlike Alpha II's elegant perfection, Adela's music carried roughness that somehow felt… right. The guitar sounded completely foreign to Musicia ears. Its resonance was softer yet carrying a strangely modern rhythm none of them understood.
Then, Adela began singing.
"If moonlight learns where your footsteps sleep,
Tell it my silence was never peace,
I counted stars where your shadow stayed,
Hoping tomorrow would carry your name."
"Stay in the wind if distance remains,
Stay in the dream where longing still waits,
Even if oceans remember your face,
Love learns the sound of an empty place."
The melody grew soft before it stopped. Nobody moved. Nobody clapped. Nobody even gave their thoughts. The public telepathic connection— for once— felt completely empty.
Adela lowered her gaze toward the guitar. Her fingers lingered against the strings while memories surfaced one after another. Nyramith Island suddenly felt so far away now, yet somehow still close enough to touch.
She remembered how ridiculous Veneri looked trying to sing dramatically, how annoyingly good his voice sounded and how much effort they spent trying to make the stupid poem work.
A faint smile touched her lips. She had no idea where he was or any clue if he was safe. Yet somehow, she felt calm. If something truly happened to him, her Bane would set her free.